Carol Nolan warns eviction ban harms landlords, risks renters
Carol Nolan criticised the eviction ban and the RTB Act 2022, arguing the measures risk creating a toxic environment for landlords and may make conditions worse for renters. She declared an interest that she and her husband jointly own a property and are landlords and said she has submitted parliamentary questions to the minister's Department.
Main argument
Carol Nolan said a successful policy must not produce a worse outcome, and warned the current approach may indirectly make things significantly worse for renters by driving landlords out of the market. She questioned whether the bill, despite honourable intentions, will actually help renters in the short, medium or long term.
Cases cited by the speaker
She described landlords feeling powerless when faced with antisocial tenants and said they feel trapped by the eviction ban. Nolan recounted a case where a tenant refused to vacate a property despite being offered two social housing properties - one of which the tenant had keys to - while the landlord needs to sell.
Parliamentary engagement and legal framework
Nolan said she has submitted a number of parliamentary questions to the minister's Department about protections for decent and socially conscientious landlords. She acknowledged the RTB Act 2022 was intended to mitigate risks for tenants who might otherwise lose tenancies during winter, but argued the Residential Tenancies Board is not providing effective remedies for some landlords.
Market effects and consequences for renters
The speaker warned that many landlords, including "accidental landlords," are exiting the rental market as quickly as they can, which she said will not help renters. Nolan urged consideration of protections for landlords alongside tenant safeguards to avoid unintended consequences for the rental sector.
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Before I begin, I just want to declare an interest also that myself and my husband jointly own a property and are currently landlords. Minister, for a policy to be deemed a success, it must be the case that the solutions proposed by that policy do not bring about a worse state of affairs, and that is common sense. I fear however that we are in real danger now of creating such a toxic environment for landlords that we may indirectly be making a situation significantly worse for renters. I have a number of parliamentary questions sent in to the Minister's Department, Minister Dara O'Brien on this very matter, with respect to the protections that can be afforded to decent and socially conscientious and fair landlords, who feel that they are powerless when it comes to antisocial tenants. They feel utterly trapped by the present eviction ban, and they can get no good of the RTB either. I am dealing with another case of a landlord who has a tenant who will not vacate the property, despite the fact that the tenant has been offered two other social housing offers. My understanding is that these are very nice houses, and my understanding is also that the tenant in question has the keys of one of the properties, and is refusing to leave this particular property, which the landlord has to sell. This is not fair, and it is not right, and it is certainly not treating all concern fairly. I accept that the RTB Act 2022 was meant to mitigate the risk that persons whose tenancies would otherwise be terminated during the winter would be unable to obtain alternative accommodation. But landlords, many of whom are accidental landlords, are exiting the market as quickly as they can, and that is the fact of the matter. How can this be short, medium or even long-term help for renters? I am not convinced that this bill, as honourable as its intentions are, will actually help renters. It will actually drive landlords out. Some of the other children are in particular interest. There is no sense to mention. I see 2016 may, did not ocult, un rates of immigrants, but a disaster property have come out. There is no sense of use oft receive dosage. ogy tansiri and a
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